A system and method for providing load balanced secure media content and data delivery in a distributed computing environment is disclosed. Media content is segmented and encrypted into a set of individual encrypted segments on a centralized control center. Each individual encrypted segment has the same fixed size. The complete set of individual encrypted segments is staged to a plurality of intermediate control nodes. Individual encrypted segments are mirrored from the staged complete set to a plurality of intermediate servers. Requests are received from clients for the media content at the centralized control center. Each individual encrypted segment in the set is received from one of an intermediate control node and an intermediate server optimally sited from the requesting client. The individual encrypted segments are reassembled into the media content for media playback.

A playback method and a playback device for playing a system stream file are provided. The playback method uses the playback device having one or more memories and circuitry to play the system stream file. The playback method includes reading the system stream file and identifying whether the system stream file to be played back is a first system stream file having a first file format or a second system stream file having a second file format. If the system stream file to be played back is the first system stream file, the method further includes converting a file format of the system stream file that has been read out from the first file format into the second file format. The playback method further includes decoding the system stream file having the second file format.

A media distribution system and method with sample variants for normalized encryption involves encrypting a main track of a media content asset using a first encryption scheme and encrypting a sample variant track of the media content asset using a second encryption scheme, and performing at least one of: storing the encrypted main track and encrypted sample variant track of the media content asset packaged in a storage format, and transmitting the encrypted main track and the encrypted sample variant track in a distribution container format to an edge media router (EMR) device configured to repackage the media content asset into a delivery container format without reencrypting the media content asset.

A system, method and apparatus for protecting a media program having a plurality of frames is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an encrypted plurality of compressed frames in a client device, wherein at least a first portion of the plurality of frames is corrupted before encryption according to one or more corruption operations; decrypting the plurality of compressed frames, decompressing the plurality of compressed frames to recover the plurality of frames, including the first portion of frames corrupted according to the one or more corruption operations, storing the plurality of frames in a frame buffer, extracting the stored plurality of frames from the frame buffer for processing by a graphics processing unit of the client device, at least substantially decorrupting at least some of the corrupted plurality of frames according to one or more decorruption operations in the graphics processing unit, and providing the plurality of frames including the decorrupted plurality of frames for display.

A non-transitory tangible recording medium storing AV data having a system stream file is provided. The system stream file is played by a playback device. The system stream file includes an individual decryption key and a common decryption key. The individual decryption key is owned individually by each of multiple playback devices. The common decryption key is owned in common by the playback devices. The system stream file includes a first system stream file to be played back using both the individual decryption key and the common decryption key. The system stream file also includes a second system stream file to be played back using only the common decryption key among the individual decryption key and the common decryption key.

A method in a pattern encryption protection scheme may efficiently decrypt data blocks in a timely manner. In the method, a processor may receive a frame of data blocks. The frame may include a plurality of pattern-encrypted subsamples, and each pattern-encrypted subsample may include one or more encrypted data blocks and one or more unencrypted data blocks in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The processor may determine a first buffer portion and a second buffer portion based on a number of the data blocks in the frame and the predetermined pattern. The processor may sort the data blocks by copying the encrypted data blocks into the first buffer portion and by copying the unencrypted data blocks into the second data buffer portion. The processor may perform a decryption call to a crypto engine to generate corresponding decrypted data blocks using the sorted encrypted data blocks in the first buffer portion.

A non-transitory tangible recording medium storing AV data having a system stream file is provided. The system stream file is played by a playback device. The system stream file includes an individual decryption key and a common decryption key. The individual decryption key is owned individually by each of multiple playback devices. The common decryption key is owned in common by the playback devices. The system stream file includes a first system stream file to be played back using both the individual decryption key and the common decryption key. The system stream file also includes a second system stream file to be played back using only the common decryption key among the individual decryption key and the common decryption key.

A playback method and a playback device for playing a system stream file are provided. The playback method uses the playback device having one or more memories and circuitry to play the system stream file. The playback method includes reading the system stream file and identifying whether the system stream file to be played back is a first system stream file having a first file format or a second system stream file having a second file format. If the system stream file to be played back is the first system stream file, the method further includes converting a file format of the system stream file that has been read out from the first file format into the second file format. The playback method further includes decoding the system stream file having the second file format.

Systems and methods for partial frame encryption in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method receives a video bitstream that includes several frames, each frame including several independently encoded compression units within the frame, encrypts a portion of each of several compression units in several frames, and generates an output bitstream that includes the several independently encoded compression units including the encrypted portions of the compression units.

Robust, computationally-efficient and secure systems, devices and automated processes are described for storing content on a disk drive or other storage device that is supplied to a media encoder or other host device. The user-supplied drive may be used, for example, to store content in a digital video recorder (DVR) or the like. The host device creates two separate digital identifiers that separately identify the host device and the user, respectively, so that subsequent pairing can be performed based upon either identifier. The two identifiers are stored on the storage device and rendered upon subsequent pairing for validation by the host device.